La Garrotxa – food, nature & culture holiday

A small group cookery and food holiday in the county of La Garrotxa, Catalonia. Cookery workshops at the 12th century Rectoria with culinary visits and opportunities to explore history and nature.

Your home during your week in La Garrotxa will be La Rectoria de Sant Miquel de Pineda and it is here that a number of the cookery workshops take place, based on the ingredients and dishes of the country.

Your hosts will be Roy Lawson and Goretti Raurell Salvador. Roy a chef, worked in Scotland for 10 years prior to moving to Catalonia with his Catalan wife, Goretti to pursue their dream. Finding, restoring and now running La Rectoria a rural guesthouse.

Your stay with us in the foothills of the Catalan Pyrenees will allow you to discover the cuisine of La Garrotxa whilst exploring some of the natural and cultural highlights of the area. Your week at La Rectoria de Sant Miquel de Pineda, which dates from the 12th century includes 3 workshops at the rectory, a chance to visit some of the areas artisan food producers, the opportunity to explore its historic towns, villages and experience firsthand the rich natural diversity of La Garrotxa.

DATES

30 March – 5 April 2019

18 May – 24 May 2019

1 June – 7 June 2019

4 October – 11 October 2019

Duration: 7 days / 6 nights

Price: from 995 €/per person (double room) Minimum: 2 people

Type of accomodation: rural guesthouse

Detailed Itinerary:

1^st day – Arrival at La Rectoria de Sant Miquel de Pineda. (May & June 16.30 walk to gather elderflowers for preparation of elderflower cordial). Dinner is served at 20.30.

2^nd day – Breakfast at 08.30, after which you cycle 6kms to La Xiquella for the first of your workshops with Oriol an award winning cheese maker. Here you will also enjoy a light lunch of cheese with wine. After lunch you cycle back to La Rectoria to relax prior to the first of your food demonstrations at 17.30, preparing squid stuffed with black pudding. Dinner is served at 20.30.

3^rd day – After breakfast at 08.30 you will make your own way to our county town of Olot to walk around the weekly market in La Firal and the covered municipal market where much of the produce on offer is locally made. You will have time to visit ‘Can Trincheria’ an example of an 18th century town house. Having worked up an appetite you have lunch at ‘El Mercat’ a small restaurant in the municipal market. After you take a very short walk to the wonderful premises of ‘Ferrer Xocolata’ for a workshop of chocolate making with Jordi, a third generation xocolater. Thereafter you return to La Rectoria for a well earned rest before dinner at 20.30.

4^th day – You might consider taking a hearty breakfast at 08.30 before joining Bet a local guide who will accompany you on a 3km walk down the Via Verda leading from La Rectoria to our village, Sant Feliu de Pallerols. Along the way you will pass the small chapel of Santa Cecilia and the pou de glace (ice well) before entering the village to visit the still working 12th Century corn mill. You will have lunch at Ca la Matilda, before returning to La Rectoria on foot. At 17.30 you will have the second food demonstration, preparing slow braised beef with farro (locally grown cornmeal). Dinner is served at 20.30.

5^th day – After breakfast at 08.30 your day starts with a workshop at La Rectoria making Crema Catalana. If you choose to come in May or June you will have the opportunity to finish making the Elderflower cordial that was started on your arrival. Guests will then be provided with a picnic prior to setting off for a self guided visit to the medieval town of Besalú, passing Castellfollit de la Roca perched on top of its basalt cliff. Guests return to La Rectoria for dinner at 20.30.

6^th day – After breakfast guests drive to the cooperative ‘La Fageda’. This innovative, socially focused yoghurt and preserves manufacturer is located at the heart of La Garrotxa’s natural park. After guests can take a short stroll through the majestic ‘Fageda d’en Jordà’ a beautiful beech forest and then make the short drive to the small medieval town of Santa Pau, which lends its name to the much treasured local bean, el fesol de Santa Pau. After lunch at La Deu in Olot, guests return for their final demonstration at La Rectoria. The catalan signature dish ‘Mar i Muntanya’, the original ‘surf & turf’ using els fesols de Sant Pau. Dinner at 20.30.

7^th day – After breakfast at 08.30, Roy and Goretti will bid you thanks and farewell. Checkout is at 11.00.

What is included?